The Circle of Life
by White-Knight-1988
Summary: The death of a loved one can bring about many different emotions. Tommy Oliver is no exception to this. When one of the people he is closest to passes away, Tommy finds comfort in an unexpected place; the presence of an old friend.
1. Chapter 1

A/N 1: Everything up through Dino Thunder is canon. After that, it's all mine. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

A/N 2: This is going to be a short story, likely no more than 3 or 4 chapters; just something to tide you over while I work on a few "bigger" projects.

"The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else; it is a mainspring of human activity - designed largely to avoid the fatality of death, to overcome it by denying in some way that it is the final destiny of man." – Ernest Becker

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next; delicious ambiguity." – Gilda Radner

"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge – myth is more potent than history – dreams are more powerful than facts – hope always triumphs over experience – laughter is the cure for grief – and love is stronger than death." – Robert Fulghum

--

**The Circle of Life**

**Chapter 1/?**

**Original Posting Date: June 29, 2008**

Not once in her life could Kimberly Hart recall another time where she had seen her former leader-slash-teammate, ex-boyfriend, and current best friend cry so very hard. The chocolate brown eyes of Tommy Oliver were bloodshot, stained red, and filled with tears that streamed down his face only to be replaced by more as he listened to the priest standing over the shiny oak casket speak. They both had seen their fare share of death during their time as Power Rangers, Tommy more so than anyone else who had even been a Ranger, but never before had it hit so close to home for them.

Heavy rain beat down against the black umbrella held by the tiny, salt-and-pepper haired woman standing closely to Tommy. For everything that Tommy had been through, Kimberly was surprised to see that it was his mother was playing the strong supportive role instead of him. Biting back tears of her own, Janet Oliver held her son's hand tightly, still trying to make sense of the series of events that had claimed her beloved husband's life.

At sixty-two years of age Thomas Oliver had been in the absolute best of shape; he never smoked, rarely drank, and exercised on a daily basis. So when a routine checkup two years ago revealed that he had lung cancer, those who knew him the best were more than just caught off guard, they were downright blown away. Luckily, his doctor caught it early enough and had been able to operate. The cancer went into remission and Thomas was able to live a fairly normal life until a month prior when he started to feel sick again.

Having been a military man for the majority of his adult life, serving in two wars and a multitude of combat missions, Thomas refused to visit the doctor for what he believed to be a common cold, even when his wife and son had constantly urged him to do so. By the time they finally had convinced him to see his doctor, it was far too late. The cancer had spread throughout his body and was now inoperable. After being told that he had less than a week to live, Thomas made it six days into his second week before finally succumbing to the cancer.

Two weeks later, Tommy still couldn't believe that his father was really gone. Never again would they be able to play golf together or watch football games on Sundays over a bowl of his mother's famous hot wings. For as long as he could remember, he and his father had been closer than close. In fact, until the Oliver family had moved to Angel Grove, his dad had been his closest and best friend.

Tommy could distinctly recall many evenings from his childhood when his dad didn't get home from work until seven, eight, sometimes nine o'clock; Thomas never complained or said no when Tommy asked him to play catch in the street or for help with his homework. He went to every Little League game, karate tournament, and school function possible; if he couldn't make it to one of Tommy's events he made sure that Janet taped it so he and his son could watch it together later.

They'd sit on the big couch in their living room, often for hours on end as they feasted on pizza and watched footage of Tommy in action. Whether it was karate, baseball, or the third grade spelling bee, Thomas had been both his biggest supporter and his biggest critic; praise was given when Tommy did something right but, if he had failed, his father would never hesitate to tell him what he needed to do to not make the same mistakes a second time. Both were constant perfectionists, a trait that Tommy inherited from his father who had become that way in the military when he was forced to witness quite a few good friends make silly mistakes in battle that ended up costing them their lives.

So many emotions tore deep at Tommy's heart and soul. There was anger and denial, pain and fear, sadness and rage. They ripped into him with relentless fury, making it impossible for Tommy to remain calm for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. His ability to maintain a cool demeanor when things got rough was something that Tommy had prided himself on for many years. It had helped him immensely during his six-year and four-color stint as a Power Ranger. Now, though, any sense of composure he might have been able to maintain had been shattered completely, and it was all because of the petite brunette with doe brown eyes standing on the other side of the casket that held his father's lifeless body.

Tommy's pride had made him try so hard not to cry in front of her that his emotions had simply bubbled up inside of him until he couldn't deal with it any longer. That was thirty minutes after the phone call from his mom telling him that his father had passed away. Making the drive from Reefside, where he lived, to Kimberly's Los Angeles apartment in record time, Tommy broke down over a steaming cup of tea in her living room shortly thereafter.

Their friendship with each other had been renewed five years ago, at the wedding of friends and former teammates, Adam Park and Tanya Sloan. It had only taken the shortest of conversations between Tommy and Kimberly before they both admitted that they really missed each other. Neither was looking for a relationship but, having just moved to new cities around the same time, a good friend had been something that they both needed.

Over that five year period, the pair had become even closer than they were when they had dated back in high school. When Tommy had informed Kimberly of his father's passing she insisted on accompanying him back to their hometown of Angel Grove. At the time, Tommy hadn't the strength to try and argue with her; looking back on that day, Tommy was glad that he didn't fight her on it.

Sleeping had been a terrible struggle for three days straight upon their return to Angel Grove until Kimberly had gotten up for a drink of water in the middle of the night and heard Tommy laying in his old bed, his room still unchanged from the day he moved out, crying softly. Taking a huge risk, Kimberly quietly tiptoed into his room and crawled in bed with him, wiping his tears away, holding him closely until he finally drifted off.

The line of friendship was never once crossed that night, but then on the next night Tommy found that he was unable to sleep without Kimberly there with him. For the last week and a half they had slept in the same bed together, both secretly wondering if, unbeknownst to them, their relationship was starting to develop from a very close friendship into something more, something bigger than either of them was expecting.

It was a thought that was as equally frightening as it was exciting, but Kimberly was not willing to test the waters when Tommy was in such a vulnerable state. The last thing that Tommy needed right now was an emotional commitment, just another person for him to worry about; he needed a friend, someone that would support him and be there for him, not another responsibility. And God only knew that Tommy would have to be hard pressed before he was willing to make the first move. If anything was going to happen between them it wasn't going to be today or during the rest of their stay in Angel Grove, or any time in the near future, for that matter.

Kimberly would be lying to herself if she said that she was no longer attracted to Tommy. Deep down, she knew that she would never get over her attraction to him, but Tommy had always meant more to her than just something to look at or have her way with. She appreciated his quick wit, his kind heart, his gentle spirit, and his willingness to help others just as much as she adored his flawless physique. If not for his current state of mind, she wouldn't have thought twice about giving a relationship with Tommy another shot, but the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him when he was already so fragile.

As the priest recited the Lord's Prayer, Tommy squeezed his mother's hand tightly, his eyes focused solely on his father's casket. Try as he might, Tommy still didn't believe that his dad, his own real life Superman, was actually gone. For a brief moment, Tommy captured Kimberly's eyes and forced himself to smile for her. Beneath an umbrella held by mutual best friend, Jason Scott, Kimberly returned the gesture, leaving Tommy with the slightest sense of reassurance.

It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to know that everything was going to be okay; not tomorrow, not the day after that, and probably not for months down the road, but one day…one day his life would have some sense of normalcy again. In his heart, Tommy knew that he would never really get over the loss of his father. The world had lost a great man, a man that Tommy would never forget; he'd just have to learn to live without him.

"In nomine Patris_, _et Filli_, _et Spiritus Sancti_,_" said the Irish-Catholic priest in Latin as he signed himself with the cross. "Amen."

"Amen," was the mumbled reply of the fifty or so patrons who had thought so much of Thomas Oliver that they had braved a horrible, relentless, December storm to pay their respects to him and his family.

In the back of his head Tommy could hear the priest thanking everyone who had come on behalf of the Oliver family, offering the group an invitation to a gathering at the Oliver home later but, while he spoke, Tommy's attention had shifted and was now directed towards Kimberly. Clutched in her hands was a bouquet of flowers; with the white, pink, and red roses, the green stems, and the black ribbon tied around them, each of their Ranger colors would be accompanying Thomas when his casket was finally lowered into the earth.

The idea to use all five of their colors had been Kimberly's. "_That way, the Rangers we were and the people we are now will always be there to look over him,_" she had explained to Tommy two days earlier.

Tommy had to admit that it was a pretty fitting parting gesture to his father. Not long after the doctor's had told Thomas he was going to die he had asked Tommy to come clean about his odd behavior in high school. With tears in his eyes, Tommy sat at his father's bedside and told him everything from his beginnings as the evil Green Ranger up to his most recent tenure as the Black Dino Ranger in Reefside. Tommy had been fearful that his dad would be upset with him for keeping his history as a Power Ranger a secret.

"_Tommy, I couldn't be prouder of you if I tried. I'm a retired Marine colonel, not one of those sissy dads that whine when their kid doesn't get enough playing time in T-ball 'cause he can't hit the ball of the damn tee._"

Even with death knocking on the front door, waiting for him to answer its call, Thomas had still found a way to maintain his sense of humor. His unwillingness to quit was a testament to the strength of the man that Tommy had once thought would live forever. Mustering up some of the last of his remaining strength, Thomas had forced himself to sit up in bed; he spoke sternly, staring Tommy right in the eyes as he delivered his final lecture to his son.

"_If you take anything from me son, you better take this. There are three types of people in this world: the people who see wrong and don't do anything, the people who see wrong and tell someone else, and the people who see wrong and do everything in their power to stop it. Don't you ever think for one second that I'd be mad at you for being one of the few people left on this planet that don't fall into the first two categories._"

Long after everyone else, including his mother who stayed to grieve for nearly an hour, had either gone home or to the Oliver house, Tommy remained at the cemetery. The service had ended over two hours ago, but Tommy had not budged since telling his mom that he'd meet her back at the house later. His umbrella long since lost thanks to the wind, Tommy ignored the rain beating against him, standing motionless as he read his father's headstone for what had to be the hundredth time.

_Thomas Jonathan Oliver_

_April 1, 1944 – December 11, 2006_

_Husband to his Princess, father to a warrior, friend to all._

Though he had read the inscription over and over again, Tommy still smiled at the terms his father had used to describe his wife and son. For as long as Tommy could remember, his dad had always referred to Janet as his "Princess," but being called a warrior by a man who had served in the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars was…indescribable. It warmed Tommy's heart, but at the same time made it ache just as much; Tommy doubted if he'd ever be able to be even half the man that his father was.

His tears used up almost an hour ago, Tommy sniffled as the rain methodically started to slow down. Brushing his soaked hair away from his eyes, he began reading the headstone again but stopped, shaking his head after reading his father's name.

"I don't want you to be gone, dad, and I still can't believe that you really are. Sometimes when I go to bed at night, I pray that I'll wake up the next morning and realize that it's just a dream. There are so many things I still wanted to do with you that I can't now," whispered Tommy, his head bowed. "We're never going to get to play Pebble Beach together, or see the Sox play the Yankees at Fenway like we always talked about doing. God, I wanted to be there with you when A-Rod came up to bat and you yelled at him, telling him what a bum he is."

"Remember how you used to tell me that everyone in Boston was Catholic so God had to be a Red Sox fan? I bet it won't be long before you guys are watching games and playing golf together," Tommy continued, chuckling at the thoughts and memories of his father. "I'm gonna miss you, Colonel," he added, playfully saluting his dad, something he had been doing since he was a child. Taking a deep breath, Tommy slowly turned to his left and smiled softly. "Thanks for staying. We can go home, now."

Long auburn tresses matted against her head by the rain, Kimberly nodded her head and reached for Tommy's hand. As they walked hand-in-hand toward a silver BMW, the only car in the whole cemetery, Kimberly wrapped both arms around one of Tommy's, resting her head against his shoulder. "We're going to get through this, Tommy," Kimberly whispered, her voice barely audible. "I promise."

"_We_?" asked Tommy, grinning slightly.

"Yes, _we_," answered Kimberly, "you and I, together."

Opening the driver's side door for Kimberly, Tommy shook his head as she murmured her thanks and climbed into the seat. "Whatever you say, Beautiful," he murmured, pushing the door shut, "Whatever you say."

Walking around the car, he started to open his own door, but something made him pause. Touching the inside breast pocket of his soaked, black suit jacket, Tommy remembered that there was one last thing he needed to say to his father that he had forgotten about. The rain was all but a sprinkle now as Tommy ran back to his father's plot without saying a word to Kimberly.

But when he came face to face with his father's headstone once more, Tommy realized that there was no way for him to leave that which rested in his jacket pocket. The item had been intended to be inside Thomas's casket, but the flurry of emotions surrounding his death and funeral had apparently triggered one of Tommy's infamous lapses in memory. He looked so very disappointed as he stared at the flat slab of stone.

"I don't keep shovels in my car, but I found a couple of screwdrivers in the trunk," said Kimberly, walking towards Tommy. Standing next to him, she offered Tommy one of the tools, to his confusion. "We'll just dig a small hole next to the headstone and put it there."

"Thanks," said Tommy hoarsely, taking the screwdriver from Kimberly. "You, uh, you don't have to do this, you know."

"I know I don't have to, I want to," Kimberly replied, smiling as she went to her knees in the soft, wet grass. "Get down here and help me. I'm not doing this by myself."

What it was, Tommy didn't know, but something about Kimberly always seemed to help brighten him up. Chuckling lightly he joined her on the ground, digging his screwdriver into the earth as she did the same. Without the use of a shovel it took quite some time, but eventually Tommy and Kimberly had created a rough looking hole that was around ten inches deep and six inches wide.

"Well, I guess that's gonna have to do, huh?" asked Tommy.

"I guess so," answered Kimberly. Resting on her haunches, she wiped the mix of rain water and perspiration from her brow. "Come on, Tommy. Let's do this and get home. Your mom is probably worried sick about you."

Nodding his head, Tommy slowly reached into his jacket pocket and extracted a small, black rock. Gently kissing his dormant Dino Gem that had once been capable of immense displays of power, he placed it carefully inside the hole. With Kimberly's help, in a matter of minutes the hole was covered once more. Standing up, Tommy helped Kimberly onto her feet; mere inches apart, his eyes settled on the headstone for the final time that day.

"Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day, Dad. If I don't get to see you," Tommy sighed, pausing as he ran his hand through his hair, "Merry Christmas."

Driving back to the Oliver house was a quiet, somber experience to say the least. Remembering that the next day was going to be his first Christmas without his father had brought on a fresh round of tears as Kimberly maneuvered her car down the wet roads of Angel Grove, keeping a supportive hand on Tommy's leg the whole time. If nothing else, he was grateful that she was there with him. Kimberly had been by his side when he needed her the most and for that, Tommy would always be appreciative. When they pulled into the driveway next to Janet Oliver's blue SUV, the fifty-nine year old woman was standing on the front porch with her hands on her hips and an unimpressed look on her face.

Almost instantly, Tommy was taken back to a mild spring day from his childhood; March 9, 1991 to be exact. His dad, who was a Marine captain at the time, had been gone since September of 1990, fighting in the deserts of Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War. On that March day, Tommy's mother had been standing in that same position when Thomas Oliver arrived at their West Texas home with no announcement that he was returning.

Much like that day, Janet ran from the porch to the car only, instead of throwing her arms around her husband it was Tommy that she enveloped, hugging him around the waist with all her might. In the company of only Tommy and Kimberly now, she was free to cry the tears that she had forced herself to hide from the rest of her family and friends at the funeral. Holding his mother as she cried against his chest, Tommy decided that the time had now come for him to play the role of the strong one.

So far, the only time that he had seen his mother cry after his father's passing wasn't until a couple of hours ago, once everyone else had dispersed from the cemetery. Seeing his mom so sad and distraught broke Tommy's heart, leaving him in a struggle to keep his own emotions in check for her sake. In the same way that he needed Kimberly for support, his mother needed him just as much. He couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it would be for a person to lose someone they had spent and shared nearly every moment of their life with for well over forty years.

"Why, Tommy? Why did he have to leave us?" Janet sobbed, gripping at her son's sopping wet suit jacket. An only child with both parents no longer living, Janet sought comfort in the arms of the last remaining member of her immediate family, ignoring the wetness of Tommy's clothes seeping through to her own. "It's not fair! He wasn't supposed to go! H-h-he promised me that he'd never leave me alone."

Biting his bottom lip, Tommy gently rubbed his mom's back as Kimberly came from behind the car to lay a comforting hand on Janet's shoulder. Giving her a grateful smile, Tommy mouthed his thanks. "He didn't leave you alone, mom. You still have me and you always will. I'm not going anywhere."

Sniffling loudly, Janet nodded her head. "Come on, son. Let's get you and Kimberly inside and out of those wet clothes before you both catch cold. Getting sick won't do a lick of good for either one of you."

"Mrs. Oliver, please, don't worry about us. We'll be fine," said Kimberly softly, Tommy nodding his agreement. "You have a whole house full of people to worry about. If anything, we should be the ones helping you."

"Oh, hush, dear. You have always been like a daughter to me," Janet replied, touching the side of Kimberly's face with her palm. "Besides, Tommy's told me what a help you've been to him. Getting you a hot shower and some dry clothes is the least I can do."

Meeting eyes, Tommy and Kimberly both blushed; Tommy because his conversations with his mom about Kimberly had been exposed, and Kimberly because of the fact that Janet considered her family. The former Pink Ranger still found it hard to believe that Janet could even stand to be in the same room with her after the way she had broken Tommy's heart in high school. So many years had passed since then, but Kimberly knew that mothers rarely forgot the wrongs that had been done to their children.

As they made their way into the house, the chattering of people ceased at the sight of Tommy and Kimberly. They weren't given much to look at though; hurriedly, Janet pushed the pair towards the stairs. A concerned Jason emerged from the crowd, squeezing his way in between a sea of bodies as he tried to follow Tommy and Kimberly but, upon reaching the stairs, Janet put a hand to his chest, stopping him.

"Not now, Jason. Give them a little time to regroup and get themselves back together," she spoke, her voice a near whisper.

It was all that needed to be said. Regardless of how much he wanted to go after his friends, Jason knew better than to argue with his elders. Nodding his understanding, he drifted back to the living room couch as Janet turned to follow Tommy and Kimberly upstairs. Seeing that the bathroom light was on and that the door was closed, Janet assumed that Tommy had given Kimberly the courtesy of taking the first shower.

Searching the linen cabinet for a towel to give to Kimberly, Janet heard a door open but did not stir. "Tommy, where in the world are all of the towels? I thought you said you were going to do that load of wash for me last night," she sighed. Shutting the cabinet door she looked towards Tommy, an embarrassed smile crossing her face when she saw that it was Kimberly standing in the hallway instead of her son. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I thought you were Tommy. He didn't give you the first shower?"

"He offered it, but I made him go first," said Kimberly. "He needs it more than I do, right now."

Janet nodded her agreement, albeit half-heartedly. "He's never had to go through anything like this before. This whole experience has been so hard on him."

"Just on him?" asked Kimberly, moving to stand at Janet's side. Though Janet gave no verbal reply, Kimberly could see the answer written on the woman's face. The loss of her husband was tearing her up inside, but for some reason she refused to admit it. "It's okay to be sad, Mrs. Oliver, and it's okay for people to know that you're sad. No one expects you to just pick up and act like everything is normal again. My dad will have been gone seven years in February and not a day goes by that I don't miss him with everything I have. I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you ever need someone to talk to."

"Thank you, Kim. I appreciate that very much," Janet replied, hugging the petite woman warmly.

From her current position, Kimberly could see the bathroom door over Mrs. Oliver's shoulder. She blushed vehemently when the door opened and Tommy walked out, dripping wet with nothing but a white bath towel wrapped loosely around his waist. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Thomas, why are their no towels in the cabinet? Did you remember to do that load of wash I asked you to do?" asked Janet, ignoring the current state of her son and the fact that Kimberly couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off of him.

"Aww, man, I completely forgot," Tommy answered, lowering his eyes as Janet rolled her own. Knowing exactly how long it would take before his mother went into lecture-mode, Tommy waited until right when she had opened her mouth before speaking over the top of her. "Ye have little faith, Mother. The towels are in the dryer. I just didn't have time to fold them before the fune—before we had to leave," he continued. Trying to cover his little slip up, he quickly shifted his attention from his mom to Kimberly. "I wasn't in there for very long. You should still have plenty of hot water."

"Thanks," Kimberly croaked, watching Tommy walk away until he disappeared behind the closed door of his bedroom. From behind her, Janet let out an amused chuckle, causing a newfound heat to creep up Kimberly's neck as she slowly turned around to face Tommy's mother. "What?"

Janet smiled at the younger woman's flustered expression. "Kimberly, I have known you since you were fifteen years old. The way you just looked at Tommy was the same way you used to look at him when you were kids, and the same way I used to look at his father when we were kids. I know how Tommy feels about you; if you have feelings for him, don't keep them bottled up inside."

"Mrs. Oliver, please don't take this the wrong way, but his dad just passed away. I really don't think that now is the right time for us to pursue anything outside of friendship. Regardless of how I feel which, for the record, I still haven't figured out yet, he's vulnerable and I don't want to take advantage of that."

After retrieving a clean towel from the dryer, Janet handed it off to Kimberly. "If I know anything in this world, it's my son. He may be vulnerable, but he's not helpless. I think he needs and cares about you more than you know," said Janet, a combination of surprise and confusion written on Kimberly's face. "I'll see you downstairs, Kim."

That being said, Janet turned for the stairs leaving Kimberly by herself, wondering when her life had become so complicated. With no answer in sight, she sighed and headed for the bathroom. The shower had always been her favorite place to think and, if what Janet had said was true, then Kimberly had a lot of thinking that she needed to do.

Having heard the whole conversation between Kimberly and his mother, Tommy sat on his bedroom floor with closed eyes, resting his back and head against the door. Part of him wished that his mom hadn't said anything but, at the same time, another part was glad that she had. Now that Kimberly knew how he felt about her, it took a tremendous weight off of his shoulders. He just hoped that his feelings weren't one way.

Sighing deeply, Tommy pushed himself onto his feet and headed for the closet, searching through a combination of clothes both old and new. He chose a crisp pair of stonewashed, dark blue jeans and a long sleeved, white dress shirt with light, barely visible, vertical stripes. Leaving the top three buttons on his shirt undone, Tommy slipped into his brown leather flip-flops and started for the guest bedroom that Kimberly had taken residence in. Standing at the door, he gently rapped his knuckles against the wooden barrier.

"Kim, it's me," said Tommy softly. "Are you decent?"

"Umm, hold on just a second!" Kimberly answered. Outside the room, Tommy could hear her shuffling about for a few moments. "Alright, you can come in!"

The sight before him made Tommy laugh out loud. Wearing a pair of form fitting blue jeans, tan flip-flops, and a casual, long sleeved, white blouse—only the top two buttons undone—Kimberly and Tommy were practically twins. Kimberly took one look at their matching attire and burst out laughing, shaking her head.

"Okay, I am so changing," she continued, going for her closet.

Kimberly pulled out a similar blouse, this one a soft shade of yellow, and proceeded to change right there in front of Tommy. This wasn't the first time she had done this, and she always wore a bra when she did, but Tommy found himself staring at her, unable to look away even for a moment. It was a far cry from watching TV or looking the other way as he usually did whenever this happened.

The whole time she was changing, Kimberly was well aware that Tommy was looking at her. When she had started to change, her intentions hadn't been to revert Tommy to a thirteen year-old boy but, like most women, now that she had his attention she wanted to keep it for as long as possible. She took a little extra time to switch blouses, drawing the process out until she was sure that Tommy was going to snap. Only then did she turn around, striking a dramatic pose "So how do I look?"

"Beautiful," Tommy breathed. It was all that he could manage.

"Just the answer I was hoping to hear," Kimberly replied, smiling brightly as she crossed the room. Standing in front of Tommy, she reached out and gently touched his elbow. "Are you ready to go downstairs?"

"Yeah, but before we go, there's something I wanted to tell you."

"Oh? What's that?" asked Kimberly meekly, afraid of what that could mean. Knowing how Tommy felt didn't change things; she still didn't think that either of them were ready for any big confessions of deep seeded feelings or anything else like that.

Slowly dipping his head, Tommy pressed a tender kiss to her cheek that left Kimberly blushing, flustered, and utterly speechless. "Thank you," whispered Tommy, wearing a soft smile, "for everything. I'm glad you came; I don't think I could have made it through this without you. The fact that you've been here for me the whole time…it means more to me than words can say."

"Y-you're w-welcome," Kimberly stammered, cursing her sudden inability to form anything that remotely resembled a coherent thought. "It really isn't a big deal. I'm sure you would do the same thing for me."

"In a heartbeat," Tommy nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. "You know, this whole experience has made me realize something. You've been there for me through everything with my dad, but we've never really talked about yours."

Caught off guard, Kimberly bit her bottom lip anxiously as she looked towards the carpet. She didn't much like talking about her father; more often than not, it brought up painful memories that she preferred to keep suppressed instead of dealing with them. "There isn't a whole lot to say. He died in a car crash on a visit to Florida a few months after the Pan Globals."

Touching her chin with his forefinger, Tommy pushed gently until Kimberly was forced to look him in the eyes. "Kim, you are just like me. You keep everything bottled up inside. It's like that song you're always singing; you don't want the world to see you 'cause you don't think that they'd understand," he spoke softly, dropping his hand as he let out a sigh. "But we do understand, especially me. I've known you long enough to know when you don't want to talk about something so I'm not going to push the issue on this, but if you ever decide that you do want to talk, I'll always be there for you."

"Promise?" asked Kimberly, looking up at Tommy with her head cocked to the side.

"On my life," Tommy replied, pulling her into a hug. Kimberly melted in his arms, resting her head against his chest. She didn't know what the future held for them, but this…this felt right in ways she couldn't explain. "Come on, let's go downstairs. I've been smelling my Mom's meatballs cooking in the Crock-Pot since we pulled into the driveway."

Chuckling, Kimberly nodded, allowing Tommy to take her hand and lead her out of the bedroom. "I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you in such good spirits so soon. I'm glad you aren't so sad anymore."

"I spent two hours staring at my dad's headstone, doing an awful lot of thinking. I know that I'm never going to get over the fact that he's gone, but I also know that if he were here right now, he'd say 'Straighten up and stiffen that upper lip, little soldier.' Crying over my dad isn't going to bring him back no matter how much I want it to. So instead of crying because he's not here anymore, I'm going to remember the good times we had, the jokes we told, and the experiences we shared. My dad and I had a ton of memories together; it's time for me to make some new memories with new people…and maybe a few old friends, too."

Kimberly could only smile as she walked hand-in-hand into the kitchen with Tommy, in search of his mother and Jason. In the back of her mind, Tommy's last words were playing over and over again.

…_new memories with new people…and maybe a few __**old**__ friends, too._

More than she would ever be willing to admit, Kimberly hoped with every fiber of her being that she was one of the old friends Tommy had been referring to. After that exchange in her bedroom, she couldn't help but to feel like she was; and, if some time down the road something ended up happening between her and Tommy, she would be ready for it.

Kimberly Ann Hart was done running from her feelings.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N 1: I've started a new story titled **_**Oltre a Vita e Morte.**_** It doesn't look like a lot of people read the first chapter, and I thought the foreign title might have something to do with that so I just wanted to let you all know that it's my story and that it **_**is**_** in English lol.**

"**Don't find love, let love find you. That's why it's called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall." – Unknown**

"**One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love." – Sophocles**

"**A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." – Ingrid Bergman**

"**Where there is love, there is life." – Mahatma Gandhi**

"**Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." – Corinthians**

--

**The Circle of Life**

**Chapter 2/5**

**Original Posting Date: 7/14/2008**

Behind her closed office door, Kimberly was doing her best to focus on the loan documents her bank had faxed over fifteen minutes ago. No matter how hard she tried to understand the financial jargon that explained rates, fee structures, and payments it just wasn't making any sense. And since she never signed anything until she knew exactly what her signature was authorizing, she let out a frustrated sigh, deciding to have Tommy take a look at it when he picked her up for their date in a few hours.

Thinking about a nice, quiet, romantic evening with Tommy instantly made her smile, banishing her paperwork frustrations to the deepest reaches of her mind. They'd been seeing each other casually for a little over two months now, their second "first" date coming a week after the funeral of Tommy's father. Unannounced, Tommy had shown up at her apartment door on a Friday night with a bouquet of pink carnations and a new dress for Kimberly to wear out to dinner. She'd been so surprised at the spontaneity of it all that she couldn't have said no to him even if she wanted to.

For all of two seconds she had thought about turning down his sudden invitation before her sense of reason kicked in. This, a real date with Tommy…it was something she had been hoping for since that day when he had kissed her cheek and told her how happy he was to have her in his life again. Luckily, Tommy had shown up at seven-fifteen and their reservations for dinner weren't until nine. Kimberly could vaguely remember a sarcastic remark about Tommy finally being on time for once to which he had replied, with a very calm but serious expression, "I'd never be late for another chance with you."

Right then and there she had fallen for him all over again. From the moment they had rekindled their friendship five years ago, Kimberly was aware that Tommy was no longer the boy she had dated in high school. They had both changed so much over the years that she never once doubted if her feelings for Tommy were real. He still had the distinct ability to make her feel like the most important person on the planet, but that was where the Tommy of old and the Tommy of new parted ways.

Not only had he changed aesthetically—his ponytail was gone and his body was far more muscular—his tardiness and forgetfulness were no longer habitual either. The latest he had been for a date was a little over a month back and it had been just ten minutes. Even then, it was only because he'd gotten a flat tire on the way to her apartment and had to contend with rain and minimal lighting while he replaced the flat with his spare. They'd decided to stay in that night when Tommy arrived at her door covered in mud and grease, soaked to the bone with a smile that was both helpless and apologetic. To his credit, though, Tommy had more than atoned for it as they made love for the first time, continuing on into the wee hours of morning until neither had the strength left to move more than a few inches at a time.

That was something else that was new about Tommy. He wasn't self-conscious, worrying what everyone thought of him as he had been during his teenaged years. Both in and out of the bedroom, he carried himself with a confidence that Kimberly would admit she'd been too set in the days of old to see before. It had taken the most intimate type of contact that two people can share with each other for her to recognize that she'd gone through the last five years wearing blinders. His prowess in bed had opened her eyes to all his changes, making her realize that things with Tommy were never going to be the same again.

A knock at her door granted Kimberly a momentary reprieve from having to worry about where the money for expanding her gymnastics studio was going to come from. Too many students and too little space was a problem; not having the funds to compensate proved to be an even bigger problem. She had emptied her entire life savings to open _Triple Gold Gymnastics_,a nod to her three gold medals in the Pan Global Games. But the cost of living, not to mention leasing a small suite in Los Angeles, along with having to buy equipment made it impossible for Kimberly to get ahead. The added enrollment had helped, but not nearly enough for her to move the studio into a bigger building. She needed that loan, and she needed it badly.

"Come in," Kimberly called out, trying to hide the frustration in her voice. The door to her closet of an office creaked open, revealing a woman in her mid-fifties with short gray hair and thin, rectangular glasses. "What can I do for you, Beth?"

The woman in question was Kimberly's secretary-slash-bookkeeper-slash-accountant of two years, Bethany Harris, the only staff that she could afford to higher. Beth was vastly underpaid for the amount of work she did; Kimberly had promised to increase her salary once the school started doing better financially, but Beth would hear nothing of it. Her husband owned, and was the chef of five restaurants in three different states; he was gone for long periods of time so Beth had taken the job not out of financial necessity, but to keep herself occupied when her husband wasn't home.

Behind her glasses, Beth's soft blue eyes glimmered as a wide grin spread across her slightly wrinkled face. "You've just been delivered flowers, dear. I think they're from Tommy. There's a card attached, but I didn't want to read it."

"Really?" asked Kimberly, furrowing her brow as Beth nodded her head. She had been thinking that she might get flowers when Tommy came to pick her up later that evening, considering what today was and all, but not an office delivery. "Well where are they? Bring them in."

"I, umm, I can't really do that," Beth answered, trying to keep a straight face.

"Why not?" asked Kimberly.

"See for yourself. They're in the lobby."

Sighing, Kimberly stood from her black leather chair, following Beth out of the office and into the studio lobby. She froze on the spot as soon as she laid eyes on the array of flowers, now understanding why Beth hadn't been able to bring them to her. Seated on the floor, slumped against a wall was a giant brown teddy bear, at least three feet tall while slouched and likely taller than herself when standing, clutching a dozen bouquets of various flowers in its soft, oversized arms.

"Holy crap," Kimberly murmured in disbelief, slowly walking towards the bear. Each bouquet held an even mixture of carnations and roses in both white and pink. At the center of the display was a pink envelope, her name written in white across it; she took one look at the lettering and chuckled, knowing that Tommy had used a white-out pen. Plucking the envelope from the flowers, she shook her head. "Very classy, Tommy."

Her hands started to shake with nervousness as she struggled to remove the card from the envelope. She cursed loudly when her finger slipped, blood trickling from a lovely new paper cut that was very much unappreciated. Sucking on the tip of her finger, Kimberly groaned as she stomped her foot angrily. "Ugh, I _hate_ paper cuts," she grumbled, storming for the First-Aid kit behind Beth's desk. With a Band-Aid in hand she tried to extract it from its thin paper covering only to drop it, looking to Beth with a defeated expression. "Help, please?"

Grinning in amusement, Beth joined Kimberly behind the desk and had her finger patched up in no time. She also took the liberty of opening Kimberly's card for her, earning an appreciative smile from her boss. "You must have it bad for this boy if you're acting like this after just a few months of seeing him."

"I know," admitted Kimberly in a whisper, unable to deny that she was falling head over heels for Tommy and had been for quite some time. If she was honest with herself, though, there was also a deep seeded fear that resonated in her heart; the fear that she would shatter Tommy's again. "He's such an amazing, wonderful man. We have so much history together, I just…I really want everything to work out between us."

"Judging by all of this," Beth started, gesturing to the bear and flowers, "I think it's safe to say that he feels the same way about you, sweetie. He sounds like a real catch from what you've told me of him. Men like that are few and far between so take my advice; don't make the same mistake I did and forget that."

"What do you mean?" asked Kimberly curiously. "I've never heard you say anything but good things about your husband…"

Beth nodded. "Don't get me wrong, Michael is a good man, but he's also a very busy man. With all of his restaurants, he's rarely even at home anymore. Last year, he was barely home for three months. We didn't even get to spend Christmas together until ten o'clock at night. That's not good for any relationship, but especially not a marriage."

"I know how that feels. I have some experience in that department as well," Kimberly replied, giving Beth's shoulder a comforting squeeze. Obviously, her words were an allusion to the failed attempt at a long distance relationship between herself and Tommy. "Do you love Michael?"

A shrug of her shoulders was all that Beth could muster. "I love parts of him, I guess, but I think I love the safety of our marriage more than anything. I've never had to want for anything, Michael and I have never had to face the financial struggles that most couples do. I know how terrible that sounds; you probably think I'm some kind of floozy gold digger."

"Oh no, Beth, I don't think that at all. Believe me, I know _exactly_ what you're going through," said Kimberly, moving to lock the doors at the first sight of tears in Beth's eyes. Classes were done for the evening, anyway. After returning to her place behind the desk, she pulled a few tissues from the box next to Beth's computer and handed them to the older woman.

"When I was seventeen, I left my home and everything I knew and loved for Florida and a shot to compete in the Pan Globals; Tommy was one of those things that I chose to leave behind. We tried so hard to make it work, and for a while I thought we were, but then real life took over and pretty soon nightly phone calls became weekly phone calls, then monthly. No matter how much I loved him, no matter how much I wanted it to work, I woke up one morning and just knew in my heart that it wasn't going to. Saying goodbye to Tommy was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but it was the right and fair thing to do for both of us. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I think it's time that Beth does what's right and fair for Beth."

Sniffling, Beth dabbed at her eyes. "You know, a woman your age has no business being so wise," she laughed, getting a chuckle from Kimberly. "I think you're right, though. I'm only hurting myself by staying in a marriage that was doomed to fail from the start. When I get home, I'm packing my things and leaving!"

Beth's proclamation was filled with such certainty that it actually made Kimberly wince slightly. That wasn't the reaction she had expected from Beth, and it was clear that her advice had been misinterpreted. Concern for the future of her studio along with that for Beth flashed before her eyes. "Woah, woah, woah; slow down there," said Kimberly, waving her hands dramatically in front of her face. "I wasn't telling you to run off and get a divorce. Leaving before you've even had time to think things through is only going to hurt you more in the long run. Like, when is the next time your husband is supposed to come home?"

"Not for three or four more weeks, and even then it's only for a few days before he has to fly back to New York," Beth answered meekly.

"Okay, now think about that for a second. Leaving your home means having to find a place to stay, and I obviously don't know the finer details of your marriage, but my parents got divorced when I was a kid and it took almost two years before they got everything settled," Kimberly replied, hoping that she was getting through to Beth. She needed Beth more than words could say, but knew that she wouldn't be able to pay her enough to support herself if she chose to move out. "Plus, finding a halfway decent apartment in this city is a total drag. Not to mention, the landlords and real estate agents that gouge you for all you're worth."

"Speaking from experience again?" asked Beth with a chuckle as Kimberly nodded her head. Then Beth's face suddenly grew serious. "Kim, sweetie, I know what you're trying to do, and you don't have to. I've got plenty of money saved up, more than enough to take care of myself if I choose to leave Michael. Besides, I could never leave you to this place by yourself. You need me far too much, dear."

Her cheeks flaring red Kimberly forced herself to smile, albeit awkwardly, as she tried to hide her embarrassment. "I guess I'm the one that sounds like a terrible person now, huh?"

"No, Kim," Beth answered, shaking her head. "You sound like a woman who's afraid that she can't make it on her own. That's something that _I_ can speak from experience on. As long as you need me here, I'll be here."

"Thank you, Beth. You have no idea how much that means to me," Kimberly replied. Smiling sweetly, her eyes wandered to the clock mounted on the wall behind Beth. "Well then, since we're being so up front here, it's six o'clock and I can't afford to pay you any more overtime."

Beth laughed. "Kim, I'm salary, I don't get overtime. Is that you're way of telling me to get out of here?'

Kimberly shook her head. "No, that's my way of telling you that I have a date in two hours that I still need to get ready for."

"Alright, alright, I may be old but I can still take a hint. Good luck with Tommy tonight."

"Thank you. Good luck to you, as well," Kimberly smiled, turning for her office. Halfway there she turned back, never stopping her forward movement. "See you tomorrow, Beth."

"Bright and early," the older woman returned, giving Kimberly a parting wave as she disappeared into her office.

Tossing Tommy's card onto her desk, Kimberly sunk down into the soft wonderfulness of her chair, closing her eyes as she let out a deep sigh. That conversation with Beth, while eye opening, was more than she had bargained for. She remained closed eyed for a few more moments until she remembered the card sitting on her desk.

On the front of the card, under the words "Looking forward…" written in flowing cursive, was a black and white picture of a boy in a suit and a girl wearing a sundress. No more than three or four years old, they stood hand in hand with their backs to the camera as they walked towards a park. Opening it, she read the printed words, "…to many amazing memories with you," before moving on to Tommy's handwritten message.

_-To my Beautiful-_

_Happy two month anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long. I know this sounds corny, but it really does seem like just yesterday when I showed up at your apartment with nothing but flowers and the hope that you'd go out with me. These last two months have been incredible, just like you. You're the best, Kim._

_Always,_

_Tommy_

Smiling to herself, Kimberly returned the card to the envelope and set it back on her desk, making a mental note not to forget it when she left for the evening. After hastily shoveling her things, including the card, into her duffel bag she headed out of her office, saw the teddy bear, and rolled her eyes. Yes, it was an awfully sweet gesture, but how in the world did Tommy expect her to get that thing home in a two-seater BMW with twelve bouquets of flowers?

In the end the flowers and her duffel bag were loaded into the trunk, with the larger than life teddy bear riding shotgun. She even buckled the bear's seat belt just for the hell of it. As she backed out of her parking spot, she pulled her phone from her pocket and started typing a text message to Tommy.

"_U r such a shit :-)"_ it read.

Maneuvering her car through the busy streets of Los Angeles that she had grown so accustomed to, Kimberly fiddled with the radio as she waited for Tommy to reply. She had just settled on a station when she felt her phone vibrate.

"_I take it you got the bear and flowers?"_

"_Ya thanx…they were a pita to get in my car tho," _she typed, sending it to Tommy.

Singing along with the song playing through her speakers, she did what all people do when they stop at a red light; look at the people on either side of them. To her left were two teenaged boys in a pickup truck. They stared at her for a few seconds, then one of the boys said something and they both started laughing. With a reasonable idea of what had been said, Kimberly refrained from flipping the boys off and turned to her right instead. In the backseat of a blue minivan a little boy and girl, obviously siblings, pointed and marveled at the biggest teddy bear either one of them had ever seen. Kimberly smiled and waved politely, the light turning green just as her phone started to vibrate again.

"_Pita?"_ was all it said. Kimberly had to roll her eyes. For a man who had experimented with some of the most advanced technology on the planet, he was so out of it sometimes. Over the next ten minutes, as Kimberly drove down the streets of Los Angeles, this is what their text message conversation consisted of.

"_Pain in the ass duh…where r u?"_

"_At home getting ready. You?"_

"_Driving home so I can get ready."_

"_Kim, you probably shouldn't be driving and texting. Just wait until you get home."_

"_Dont worry. Its not a big deal."_

Unfortunately, it was a big deal. Kimberly was only a few blocks away from her apartment building when she started to cross one of the cities calmer intersections. She had a green light, and it seemed like no cars were coming from either side. But the combination of the teddy bear blocking her view and her reacting to her vibrating phone prevented Kimberly from seeing the black SUV on her right speeding through the red light on a collision course for her car.

She saw nothing, merely felt the impact as the SUV plowed into the passenger side of her car causing it to spin out of control. No other cars in the area meant that Kimberly and her BMW received the brunt of the collateral damage. Her head jerked to the left, banging on the window as she slammed on the brakes, still trying to steer the car. Almost instantly, everything started to get fuzzy.

Briefly, Kimberly noticed the black SUV; there were two young males inside and both looked scared out of their minds. The driver's eyes were bloodshot, leaving Kimberly to wonder if he was intoxicated. As the SUV fled the scene, speeding off into the distance, she reasoned that he probably was.

Everything was happening so fast. Before she knew it, Kimberly was fighting to keep her eyes open, trying desperately not to succumb to the creeping darkness. Her last thoughts as she slipped away were of Tommy and how, like always it seemed, he had been right. She didn't even hear the sound of approaching sirens as her eyes started fluttering until Kimberly could fight it no longer.

--

Two hours later, a panicked Tommy burst through the front doors of Los Angeles General Hospital, heading straight for the elderly woman seated behind the receptionist's desk. White knuckled and barely breathing, he gripped the countertop tightly. "Kimberly Hart, no 'e,'" he murmured through tear filled eyes. "What room?"

"Let me check for you," the woman answered, recognizing right away the signs of a person who'd been told that a loved one had been in an accident. Quickly typing in the name, she turned her attention back to Tommy. "She's in Room 219 in ICU. It's on the third floor, across the bridge."

But Tommy had started running as soon as he heard that Kimberly was in the Intensive Care Unit. Los Angeles General was the same hospital that his father had died in; he knew just where the ICU was located. Looking at his watch as he ran, Tommy hoped and prayed that Kimberly was going to be okay. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her when he'd just lost his dad barely two months ago.

The call that Kimberly had been involved in a car accident hadn't come until nearly an hour and a half after the police and paramedics had arrived at the scene. Tommy was literally walking up the stairs to her apartment when his phone started to ring. When Kimberly hadn't given her typical quick reply to his text, Tommy figured that she had taken his advice and put her phone down. And when she still hadn't called or sent him another text, Tommy reasoned that she had simply forgotten in the elaborate process of getting ready that was par for the course when it came to Kimberly. He had barely believed it when he answered his phone and heard the soft female voice telling him that Kimberly had been in an accident.

Fear flooded his body, his legs pumping as fast as he could make them go as he tore through the hospital, ducking and dodging the patients, visitors, and staff that stood between himself and the woman he loved. Until an hour ago, Tommy still hadn't been sure what his feelings for Kimberly were; he knew that he cared about her deeply, but he didn't yet know if he was actually in love with her. Then he got the call from the hospital and felt his heart break into pieces; the chance that Kimberly might not make it was too much for Tommy to bear.

So he ran even harder, refusing to even consider the possibility that he wouldn't get to tell Kimberly how he really felt about her. Pushing through the double doors that led into the ICU, Tommy made a beeline for the nurse's station where the plump, African-American woman seemed to have been expecting him.

"Tommy Oliver?" she asked, Tommy nodding desperately. "Take a seat in the waiting room and I'll page Dr. Wong for you."

For a moment, Tommy thought about protesting, but the woman's stern expression left little room for argument. Sighing helplessly, he turned and slowly headed for the purgatory that the waiting room presented. In typical hospital fashion, the news played on a television mounted in an upper corner of the room; old copies of _TIME, Sports Illustrated, Highlights,_ and_ The Los Angeles Tribune_ sat in a cluttered pile on top of a table surrounded by dull blue chairs that looked none too inviting.

Still, Tommy took a seat away from everyone else in the room and started to flip through last week's _Sports Illustrated_, hoping that reading about the Boston Red Sox would provide him some temporary relief. But not even a perfect game in the middle of a twelve game winning streak was enough for Tommy to take his mind off of Kimberly. Nervously tapping his leg, Tommy started shifting his attention between the magazine and the clock on the wall, ticking and tocking at him tauntingly. It was like time had just slowed down, sticking its tongue out at Tommy, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

Ten horrible, excruciatingly painful minutes later a middle aged Asian man wearing a maroon dress shirt, gold tie, and white coat entered the room. "Tommy Oliver?" he called out, looking around at everyone. Tommy stood, but did not reply. "Do you want to step outside with me?"

Tommy merely nodded, following the doctor into the hallway and around a corner until he came to a stop. Halting behind Dr. Wong, Tommy folded his arms across his chest and braced himself for the answer to the question he was about to ask. "Is she okay?" asked Tommy. He rubbed his forehead thankfully when Dr. Wong nodded his head. "Oh, thank God."

"She's very lucky, young man. They both are. Apparently she had a giant stuffed bear riding in the passenger seat with her. Had she not fastened the safety belt, the impact from the other car would have likely caused the bear to pin her against the door. Considering that she blacked out, who knows if she would have been able to breathe underneath that thing."

"She probably just did it to get attention, too," Tommy murmured, knowing that was something Kimberly would do. "When you say that they were both lucky, you mean her and the other driver, right?"

Dr. Wong shook his head. "It depends on how you look at it. The driver and his passenger weren't hurt, but they were arrested and charged with grand theft auto, DUI, reckless endangerment, driving with a suspended license, and driving without insurance. So to answer your question; no, I wasn't referring to them. It's still early, so I doubt she even knew yet, but Kimberly is pregnant. Three or four weeks I'd say, but then I'm no obstetrician, either."

Mouth agape, Tommy slowly backpedaled until a wall stopped him mid-step. A flurry of thoughts and emotions rushed through him so fast that he was rendered completely speechless. It took a good two minutes before Tommy was able to shake the cobwebs out and gather himself back up.

"Does she know yet?" asked Tommy, his voice barely a hoarse whisper.

"No," Dr. Wong answered, shaking his head. "She had only just started to wake when I received the page that you were here. Besides, I figured she'd probably want to hear it from the father than some doctor she doesn't even know."

Tommy eyed the doctor curiously. He never doubted that he was the father, and Dr. Wong seemed nice enough, but Tommy didn't like when people made assumptions. "How do you know I'm the father? What if I'm her brother, or just a friend?"

Dr. Wong laughed heartily. "Very few people leave the same man listed as their only emergency contact for over a decade," he answered. Judging by the look on Tommy's face, this was news to the young man. "I also spent quite a bit of time with your father when he was here. Our paths always just seemed to miss one another, but he told me an awful lot about you and Kimberly; he said that his only regret in life was that he wouldn't live long enough to see the grandchildren you two were going to have."

Tears flooded Tommy's eyes as his thoughts drifted from Kimberly to his father. She had done wonders helping him deal with the pain caused by the loss, but it was still there, some times worse than others. Now was one of those times where the pain made his heart ache for that which was no longer there. Finding out that he was going to be a dad should have been a happy time, but all Tommy could focus on was the fact that his own dad wasn't going to be there when Kimberly gave birth to their child.

"Did you want to see her now?" asked Dr. Wong.

"In a minute," Tommy replied, suddenly feeling nauseous. His stomach lurching, Tommy covered his mouth in his hand and sprinted for the men's room. He plowed into the first open stall and dropped to his knees, heaving violently into the toilet. It was almost as if he was the victim of some twisted game that fate was playing on him; one little speck of light in a room shrouded in darkness.

Coughing loudly, tears streamed down Tommy's eyes as he continued to vomit until he had nothing left to give. Only then did he stagger to his feet, stumbling wildly towards the sink. He turned the water on cold, splashing it against his face; cupping his hand, he drank some of the cool liquid and tried to swish away the taste of vomit. Tommy had never been happier to have remembered his tin of Altoids for his date with Kimberly. He popped a handful of the mints into his mouth and started sucking on them with all his might as he dried his face on a rough, brown paper towel.

When he finally felt that he had gotten his composure in check, Tommy took a deep breath and exited the bathroom en route to Kimberly's room. As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside the tears returned. A big patch of gauze was taped to the left side of her head, another smaller piece to her forehead. She seemed so fragile, so tired, but when she heard the door open she immediately looked to Tommy, giving him her best smile. God only knew how bad he needed it.

"Hey, you," she murmured.

"Hey," Tommy whispered, still beneath the door frame.

"So, how much longer do you think you'll be standing there and staring at me? 'Cause if it's going to be awhile, I'm just gonna take a nap," said Kimberly sarcastically, earning a slight chuckle from Tommy as he ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"I was worried sick about you," Tommy told Kimberly, slowly crossing the room to stand at her bedside. Gently, he reached out and took one of her hands, kissing it. "I came as soon as the hospital called, but they wouldn't tell me how you were and I was so scared that something was going to happen to you before I got a chance to say…before I got a chance to tell you how much I…how much I…"

"How much you what, Tommy?" asked Kimberly impatiently.

"How much I love you," Tommy admitted, gazing into her doe brown eyes. "When I thought there was a chance you might not make it, I promised myself that I wasn't going to miss the chance to say 'I love you' if I got it, so here it is; Kimberly Ann Hart, I love you so much, but if you ever do anything like that to me again, I'll—"

"Say it again," Kimberly interjected, cutting Tommy off.

"Why am I the only person you have listed as an emergency contact?" asked Tommy, refusing to play into her games. Easy as it would have been, his conversation with Dr. Wong had left much that Tommy and Kimberly still needed to discuss.

"I…I don't know." Kimberly's answer was only partially honest. "When I moved to Florida I had to list my two closest living relatives for emergency contacts. Mom was in France, I didn't know where my dad was, and I never really liked any of my other relatives; except for my Nana, she was the only one that wasn't a total snob. So your name was the only one I put down. I guess I just never remembered to change it."

"Uh-huh, and I'm the Blue Ranger," Tommy replied, not believing it for a second. He knew Kimberly far too well. "I don't have the same phone number I had ten years ago. How do you explain that one?"

Grinning slyly, Kimberly shrugged her shoulders. "I really did forget to change the names on there when I moved. Granted, I may have been asked to update my emergency contacts a couple of years back and I could have given your new number to the nurse, but I don't really remember. Damn concussions."

Tommy rolled his eyes playfully. "Seriously, though, why me? We didn't even start to really get close again until last year."

Kimberly sighed. If Tommy wanted to play the serious card then she was going to play it right back at him. "Because, deep down, I knew that no matter how much pain I had caused you or how far apart we were, you'd always come if anything ever happened to me."

Blinking back another round of tears Tommy squeezed her hand tightly, whispering the only words he could find. "I love you."

Taking a deep breath, Kimberly reached out and touched the side of his face with the palm of her hand. "I love you too, Tommy." He almost seemed surprised to hear that Kimberly felt the same way. When he had first entered the room she took one look into his eyes, those pools of chocolate brown that had forever been the window to Tommy's heart and soul, and knew that she'd never love anyone as much as she loved him. Then those same eyes betrayed him, revealing a sense of nervousness that Kimberly hadn't recognized initially. She looked up at him curiously, and with concern. "Is something wrong? You don't look so hot."

Chuckling awkwardly, Tommy rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm fine, Beautiful, it's just that…there's something I have to tell you," he started, his eyes looking everywhere except to Kimberly, "but I'm afraid of how you're going to react when I do."

There wasn't a moment's hesitation from Kimberly as she reached out and grabbed his arm, wearing the most serious expression Tommy had seen from her in their thirteen-plus years of knowing each other. "Tommy, you know you can tell me anything. Whatever it is, we'll get through it. Just talk to me."

The proverbial can of worms had been opened. Swallowing the heavy lump in his throat, Tommy decided that there was no going back now. After pulling a chair to her bedside and sitting next to Kimberly, Tommy took one of her hands again, this time softly stroking it with his thumbs as he smiled down at her. "You're pregnant, Kim."

Uproarious laughter wasn't exactly what Tommy had been expecting; or hoping for, for that matter. He could tell just by looking at her that Kimberly didn't believe him. "Haha, very funny Tommy," she chortled, shaking her head. "Seriously, what's going on?"

"I'm not joking, Kim. I just talked to Dr. Wong. You're pregnant."

Fully alert now, Kimberly turned to Tommy on her right with a flurry of so many different emotions written across her face. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, only to discover she couldn't find the words that she was looking for. Closing her eyes she rested her head against her pillow, her hands unconsciously finding their way to her flattened stomach. Could it really be true? Could she really be pregnant?

"I've never once forgot to take my birth control," Kimberly murmured.

"Nothing is ever a hundred percent safe," Tommy replied softly.

Tommy was the only man that she had slept with in over a year, so if she really was pregnant, she knew that the child was his. Just the mere thought that she was carrying Tommy's unborn child brought tears to her eyes. Starting and raising a family with Tommy had been the stuff of her teenaged dreams for years, but nothing that she'd even given serious consideration to since they had gotten back together.

"You don't seem too happy about this," Tommy commented, disappointment in his voice.

Kimberly's eyes slowly fluttered open; behind her tears, she squeezed Tommy's hand and smiled for him. "I'm a lot of things right now: I'm confused, I'm scared, I'm nervous…but I could never be unhappy about having your baby, Tommy."

"Not my baby, Beautiful, _our_ baby," Tommy corrected, wiping away the lone tear sliding down Kimberly's cheek. Standing up, he leaned across the bed and pulled Kimberly into his arms; they held onto each other tightly, both still trying to digest everything. "No more driving and texting, okay?" he chuckled, rubbing her back up and down. "I don't think my heart can withstand another scare like this."

"Don't worry," Kimberly murmured, nuzzling her face against his neck. "Now that I know what's at stake, my phone's staying in my pocket when I'm in the car. Speaking of which, how's the Beemer?"

Tommy shrugged. "I don't know, but I doubt if it's in very good shape anymore. You'll probably just have to buy a new car."

Kimberly seemed to take this news in stride. "At least the police caught the guy; the insurance money will take care of that."

"He didn't have insurance, Kim. The car he was driving wasn't even his."

The color drained from Kimberly's face as soon as she heard that. The BMW had been an inheritance from her father when he passed away and with how tight things already were for her financially…

"Great, just great," Kimberly sighed, throwing herself against the bed as she started to cry again. "I can't do this, Tommy. Every time I start to get a little bit ahead it's like life pushes me back down. I'm going to have to sell the school; there's no way I can afford it anymore."

She looked so heartbroken that Tommy's heart broke right along with hers. One thing Tommy had never been able to stand was seeing Kimberly sad. He'd have gladly taken all her pain for her if he could have.

"How much do you need?"

"What?" Kimberly asked, sniffling.

"How much money do you need?" Tommy repeated.

"I…I'm not really sure," Kimberly answered, thinking about all of her expenses. "Between having to buy another car, moving into a bigger building, and buying more equipment…at least thirty-thousand, if not more. Why?"

For a few moments Tommy remained silent, closed eyed as he ran through some numbers in his head. He still had some money left over from his stock car racing days, and his stock in Anton Mercer Industries was skyrocketing now that Anton had resumed experimenting for the betterment of mankind instead of its destruction. Finally, after what seemed like forever to Kimberly, he opened his eyes and smiled. "Find out exactly how much you need. I'll take care of the rest."

"Wh-what?" Kimberly sputtered, shaking her head, "No way, Tommy. I appreciate the offer, but there's no way I could ever take that much money from you, especially since I don't know when I'd be able to pay it back; or even _if_ I'd be able to."

Tommy just kept smiling, his peaceful demeanor never faltering. "Kim, whether we were ready for it or not, we became a family the day our child was conceived. Family takes care of each other; my dad taught me that. So let me take care of you. I wouldn't offer you the money if I didn't think I could afford to."

"Family," was Kimberly's whispered, tearful reply. She hadn't had one of those in so long.

"Only if you want to be, Beautiful."

Squeezing Tommy's hands with all her might, Kimberly nodded her head fiercely. "I-I don't even know what it feels like to have a family anymore," she admitted, the floodgates open. She didn't know why, but all of a sudden she felt like pouring her heart out to him. "I never got the chance to say goodbye to my dad before he passed away; my mom hasn't even spoken to me since I was nineteen."

"Tell me what happened," said Tommy, deciding to add, "the truth, I mean."

"I got pregnant," Kimberly answered, wincing inwardly at the look on Tommy's face. She knew how badly this was going to hurt him to hear, but he needed to know the truth; he _deserved_ to know the truth. "Matt and I had been dating for almost two years when we decided to have sex. Three months later, right after the Pan Globals, I found out that I was pregnant. The first person I called when I found out was my mom. I thought she would be excited but I couldn't have been more wrong. She was cold, and told me I'd be throwing my life away if I didn't have an abortion or put the baby up for adoption, but Matt and I both wanted it. When I told her I was keeping it, she called me a selfish, spoiled bitch and hung up on me. I haven't spoken to her since and I have no desire to. My dad though…"

"I used to hate him so much when I was a kid. His infidelity was the reason he and my mom got divorced; I'd stay awake in bed at night and cry my eyes out, blaming him for the way our family fell apart. But when my mom turned her back on me, he was the only person that I really thought I could turn to. I hadn't talked to anyone in the gang except Jason since Murianthis, and I couldn't tell him because I knew it'd get back to you somehow and I was so afraid of hurting you more than I already had. When my dad came to Florida, we had a long talk and patched things up. He told me that I would always be his daughter, and that he would love and support me no matter what I chose to do with the baby. We were just starting to really get back on the right track when he died…and Matt. My dad wanted to get to know him better so they had gone golfing one day, got hit by a drunk driver on their way, and never came home. I was only nineteen at the time; I couldn't have afforded to raise a baby on my own so I took my mom's advice and had an abortion. I never told my mom, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. But the thing that hurt the most was that I had spent four years pushing my dad away only to lose him as soon as we had started to fix our relationship."

Never in his wildest dreams would Tommy have imagined that Kimberly, his Kimberly, the woman he loved more than anything, could have gone through such a trying ordeal. He wasn't mad or upset, or even disappointed; knowing what she had been through only made him admire her that much more. Kimberly had told him quite a bit about Matt, the twenty year old swimmer she had left Tommy for, but he'd never heard the details of why they parted ways.

Instead of trying to say something to make her feel better Tommy simply took Kimberly into his arms and held her closely, allowing her to sob into his chest. As she cried, Kimberly mused that this was why she chose to keep those memories inside instead of talking them out. Tommy kept one hand on the back of her head, a big part of him fearful that Kimberly would creep back into her shell if he let go of her.

"Kim, I can't even begin to imagine what a horrible experience that must have been for you," Tommy whispered, tilting his head until he looked her in the eyes. "You are the strongest, most amazing woman I have ever met. Words can't explain how much I admire you; there aren't many people who could have made it through an ordeal like that. I'm just sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most."

Through her tears Kimberly forced herself to smile. "Thank you, but that wasn't when I needed you the most, Tommy. I need you now way more than I needed you back then. I don't want us to become like my parents; even if this doesn't work out between us, our child deserves to have two parents in its life."

"I couldn't agree more, Beautiful, but I don't think we have to worry about whether or not our relationship works out. I don't take saying 'I love you' lightly; to me love is a commitment, a promise between two people that's damn near impossible to break. We're going to work. It's not going to be easy, and it probably won't be happily ever after, but regardless of what happens in the future, I will always be there for you. Don't ever forget that."

Slinking an arm around Tommy's neck Kimberly pressed her lips to his, using her kiss to say everything that her words could not. Tommy returned the kiss eagerly, sharing his newfound happiness with Kimberly. When their kiss broke, Kimberly opened her eyes, touching her forehead to Tommy's as she whispered to him, "Tell me you love me. I want to hear it again."

Tommy just smiled back at her, more than willing to comply with her request now that everything was finally out in the open. "I love you, Kimberly," he started, tenderly kissing her forehead, "Always."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N 1: This may or may not be the last chapter of this story. Originally there was going to be one or two more chapters, but this just feels like a good place to leave it. I might come back to this at some point, but only if I can come up with something that justifies another chapter.**

"**Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived," – Captain Jean-Luc Picard.**

"**Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover," – Mark Twain.**

"**Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed." – Corita Kent.**

"**Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired," – Erik H. Erikson.**

**--**

**The Circle of Life**

**Chapter 3**

**Original Posting Date: September 2, 2008**

This November morning was a particularly chilly one, especially by Southern California standards. The wind whistled through the trees that surrounded Tommy's Reefside home; a fresh layer of early morning frost tipped the front lawn that was usually a lush shade of green; and beneath a jumble of blankets, Kimberly slept comfortably in Tommy's arms. One of his hands rested gently on her stomach, inches away from the child that was due any day now.

That they were actually going to be parents was still a turn of events that hadn't fully sunk in yet. More often than not Tommy would find himself just staring at Kimberly's stomach with a bright smile, unable to believe that he was going to be a father. What had once been the stuff of dreams was about to become a reality that both were ready for.

Snuggling closer to Tommy, Kimberly let out a content sigh as his warm breath softly touched the back of her neck. For the first time since Matt and her father had passed away she was genuinely happy. Sure she and Tommy argued from time to time just like any other couple, but at the end of the day they still loved each other, and deep down Kimberly knew that they always would.

Perhaps they had never stopped loving each other at all; perhaps they'd gone their separate ways as a means for them to discover how much they truly meant to one another. Kimberly sometimes wondered how her life would have turned out had Matt still been alive. She'd certainly never been unhappy when they were together, but on the flipside she had never been as happy with Matt as she was with Tommy.

Everything in her life now was perfect, or at least as close to perfect as one could hope for. With Tommy's help, she'd been able to lease a larger building for the school as well as purchase some new equipment. From a financial standpoint, things were finally looking up; Beth's increased salary, the hiring of two coaches, and the near new BMW in Tommy's driveway were evidence of this. And though she and Tommy hadn't officially moved in together yet, the wheels were already in motion to bring the rest of her things to his house after the baby was born.

When the alarm clock next to the bed suddenly started buzzing, Tommy groaned loudly as he forced himself to slowly open his eyes. Seeing that it was only five-thirty made it all the more difficult for Tommy to wake. Groggily, he let go of his hold on Kimberly and rolled over, smacking the alarm clock carelessly until the buzzing had ceased. He could hear Kimberly stir as he pushed himself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, trying to rub away the sleep from his eyes.

"Mmm, is it morning already?" asked Kimberly sleepily, her eyes still closed.

"Yup; for me at least," Tommy answered. Shirtless in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, he stood up and raised his arms to the ceiling, yawning deeply. "You can go back to bed, Beautiful. I'm gonna go work out before I have to leave for school."

"Are you gonna be in the backyard?" Kimberly replied.

"Yeah, why?" asked Tommy as he moved across the room to his dresser. Opening one of the drawers, he pulled out the bottom half of a black karate gi and a matching tank top, and then started to get dressed. Once that was done he headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, leaving the door open so that he could still hear Kimberly.

"I think I'm just going to get up," said Kimberly, yawning. Tommy had to duck his head to cover his amused smile as he watched Kimberly struggle like a fish out of water to sit up. Luckily for Tommy she had her back to him or he would have surely been on the receiving end of a rather unpleasant verbal lashing. "I'm gonna make some tea and then I'll come outside with you."

Tommy mumbled "okay" through a mouthful of toothpaste and emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, wiping his mouth on the bottom of his shirt. Rolling her eyes at this, Kimberly silently mused that while Tommy had changed significantly over the years, parts of the young man she had fallen in love with so long ago still popped up occasionally.

Dipping his head, Tommy pecked a kiss to her forehead before exiting the bedroom en route for the backyard. The morning chill bit at his skin as soon as he stepped outside and onto the lawn, a mild dampness touching the bottom of his feet. For a few moments he simply stood on the grass in silence, reveling in the serenity that came with living in the middle of nowhere.

Letting out a deep breath, he began to through a series of stretches until he felt that his muscles had been adequately warmed up and from there started an intricate kata. Though the years had taken their natural toll on his body, his movements were just as precise as they'd been when he was a teenager, if only a tad bit slower.

So caught up in what he was doing, Tommy didn't notice it when Kimberly came through the sliding glass door in a pair of loose fitting sweats and one of his hooded sweatshirts that just barely covered her belly. Clutching a steaming mug of tea, she took a seat in one of the patio chairs and watched from afar as Tommy threw punch after punch, kick after kick. The attacks might have been slower, but one would be hard pressed to convince Tommy of that. Fighting nothing but air he still moved with the same fire and intent of his younger days.

Eventually, after nearly five minutes of Kimberly watching him, Tommy finally realized that he had company. Smirking to himself he picked up the intensity of his routine, increasing both speed and difficulty as soon as he saw her. For as long as he could remember he had always wanted to impress her and, while he'd known that he didn't have to for nearly as long, that had never once stopped him from trying.

Grunting his kiya's, Tommy launched into a series of jumping spin kicks; after the fifth and final kick he paused momentarily, taking a deep breath as he stood with eyes closed. Exhaling deeply, he opened his eyes, turning for Kimberly and the wry grin that she wore.

"They said back at the gym that I'd find you here," said Kimberly.

Tommy didn't even have to think about what to say. "Yeah, I like practicing outside sometimes; smell the fresh air," he replied, smiling a knowing smile.

"How are you doing?" asked Kimberly, now struggling to contain her laughter.

"I'm hanging," answered Tommy, shrugging. "I've been working on my karate, focusing on my schoolwork. I'm just trying to keep busy, you know?"

Kimberly could do little more than smile up at Tommy. It was moments like these that left her wondering why she had ever broken up with him in the first place. The fact that he could still remember verbatim the conversation leading up to their very first kiss meant more to her than words could say. "Can we just skip the whole 'I miss you' thing and just go straight for the kiss?"

Instead of speaking, Tommy gently took Kimberly's hands in his own. As their eyes met, Tommy placed a single, tender kiss to her lips. He captured her lips for a few seconds, far longer than their first kiss had been, and when it ended he was all smiles. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

"Me too," Kimberly gushed.

Pulling Kimberly into a hug, Tommy took a very slow, deep breath. With her head resting against his chest, Kimberly could feel how Tommy's heart had suddenly started to beat much faster. "Well," he whispered, "now that that's out of the way, I guess my next question is a piece of cake."

Kimberly looked up at Tommy curiously, wondering what kind of question he was talking about. If he continued with the scenario the next step would have been for Tommy to ask her to the dance, but Kimberly seriously doubted that that was where he was heading.

"What's that?" she asked softly as Tommy held onto her.

"Marry me?"

--

Hours later, Kimberly sat in the room that would be the baby's when it arrived, in the rocking chair that had once belonged to Tommy's mother. Tears had been threatening to fall since Tommy had left for work, but she'd yet to cry. Part of her desperately wanted to but, for whatever reason, she just couldn't do it.

When Tommy asked her to marry him she had completely frozen up, stammering an answer of uncertainty that had left Tommy visibly hurt. They'd barely spoken in the time it took Tommy to get ready for work and, while he didn't leave the house angry he had definitely left with a look of sadness that was impossible to ignore.

Slowly rocking back and forth as she clutched their baby's first blanket against her chest, Kimberly closed her eyes and saw a world of nothingness; she was alone, in a place that was as dark as it was empty. This was exactly how she had felt in the months that followed the accident that claimed the lives of her ex-fiancée and father.

A life and future with Tommy were things she had dreamed of for years, but now that it was right in front of her face she was suddenly too afraid to reach out and take it. In her heart of hearts Kimberly knew that she was being silly, that she had no reason to be afraid of marrying Tommy, but the fear was still there.

She had already broken his heart once before. In the ten or so months that they had been together Kimberly had made it a point to ensure that she never gave Tommy a reason to doubt her feelings; four hours prior she'd been given the chance to prove just how much she loved him only to let the opportunity slip through her fingers.

Looking at the room that she and Tommy had spent two full weekends decorating, Kimberly silently cursed the ludicrousness that was her inability to commit. Ever since Matt had died she'd been keeping the men in her life—fellow Rangers excluded—at arm's length. Eternally worried that she would get too close to any prospective boyfriends only to lose them in the end, Tommy was her only her second "serious" relationship after Matt.

"Why me?" asked Kimberly in a near whisper. With tear-filled eyes she looked towards the heavens above. "Why me? What terrible thing did I do to deserve this curse?"

The truth was that she had done nothing, nothing but give her full heart and soul to everything she did in life. Kimberly Ann Hart had traveled around the world, seen two different planets, battled intergalactic warlords, and saved countless numbers of people in the process. Then when her time as a Power Ranger had ended she went on to gymnastics glory, winning a gold medal, two silvers, and a bronze in the Pan Global Games. All of this had happened before she was even old enough to vote.

For as long as she could remember her life had been predicated on a level of determination that far exceeded that of her peers. If Kimberly was going to do something she was going to give it everything she had, and it was with that thought in mind that it finally hit her.

What if she couldn't give Tommy everything she had? If her parent's divorce had taught her anything it was that a marriage took two people to create, but only one to destroy. She would never be able to live with herself if she and Tommy got married and then ended up divorcing because of her. Tommy was a good man; he didn't deserve that kind of pain.

Squeezing the tiny blanket with every ounce of strength in her body, Kimberly closed her eyes as she made a silent promise to herself, a promise that she would never, ever put Tommy through something like that.

In the background, Kimberly could faintly hear the phone ringing, and a single tear slid down her cheek as she slowly rose from the rocking chair to answer it. By the time she had waddled into the kitchen the answering machine had already started to pick up.

"…_you've reached Tommy—__**and Kimberly!**__—yeah, and Kimberly. Anyway, I…er, we're not here right now so leave your name, number, and a message and, uh, one of us will call you back when we can."_

Instead of picking up the phone, Kimberly just smiled at her spontaneous interruption of Tommy's recording. Wiping the tears from her face she decided to hear who was on the other end before she decided if it was a call worth taking. A female's laugh that was all too familiar was the first thing that she heard.

"_Girlfriend, I'm telling you, you have __**got**__ to change that message."_

Before the woman on the other end of the line could start her next sentence Kimberly had snatched the phone from the receiver. "Aisha!" she practically squealed, momentarily forgetting her life's most recent upheaval. "What's going on? I haven't heard from you in forever!"

"_You're telling me,"_ Aisha laughed. _"You have no idea how crazy my life's gotten, girl."_

"Really?" asked Kimberly excitedly as she headed for the refrigerator. While her image as a Valley Girl had been shed long ago, she was still a sucker for some good gossip, especially when it came to her Ranger friends. "Well tell me already, 'Sha, jeez!"

"_Alright, alright, patience my pregnant pinky,"_ Aisha teased, earning an eye roll from Kimberly who munched on a stick of string cheese as she walked through the house. _"So much stuff has happened since the last time we talked. I seriously don't even know where to start."_

Somehow Kimberly's journey through the hallways led her back into the baby's room. Surrounded by bright hues of the colors that she and Tommy had worn as Power Rangers, Kimberly stomped her foot impatiently as she growled, "Aiishaaa."

Aisha's chuckle did little to improve Kimberly's lack of patience._ "I'm not kidding, Kim. Last month I got promoted, two weeks ago Rocky proposed—I said yes, by the way—"_ Aisha replied, but Kimberly was no longer listening. Kimberly heard what sounded like a pop followed by a feeling of inexplicable pain, and then the next thing she knew she was staring at the floor in shock. "_And then yesterday I found out that I'm preg—"_

"Hey, 'Sha?" Kimberly interjected.

"_Yeah?"_ Aisha replied, a bit perturbed that Kimberly had interrupted her.

"Where are you right now?" asked Kimberly, still unable to look up from the carpet.

"_On my way to see you," _Aisha answered. As her hand crept towards her stomach, Kimberly could hardly believe her luck. _"I was just calling to tell you that I was coming over so I could tell you everything in person, but then you interrupted—"_

"Hey, 'Sha?" said Kimberly, cutting her friend off for the second time.

"_Yeah?"_ asked Aisha, the frustration in her voice now evident. If the circumstances weren't so extenuating Kimberly would have been more than happy to listen to all of Aisha's news, but something much bigger was going on at the moment.

Closing her eyes tightly, Kimberly bit her bottom lip. "My water just broke."

--

Pacing around his classroom at Reefside High School, Tommy alternated between delivering a less than enthusiastic lecture to his students on fossils from the Jurassic Period and thinking about the morning's events with Kimberly. Actually, he wasn't really thinking about them, it was more like his mind being constantly peppered by the fact that she hadn't said yes. Sure it had been an impromptu proposal, ringless and lacking the romanticism that most women dreamed of, but the moment had just seemed like the right one considering the conversation they had been having at the time.

His student's eyes were filled with boredom as they listened to their teacher speak in a tone that was as distant as it was apathetic. Tommy had known for a long time that dinosaur bones weren't a top priority for the average high school student, so he'd made a conscious effort to do everything possible to ensure that his classes were as enjoyable as he could make them. Today, though, neither his heart nor his mind was in it.

As the day wore on Tommy steadily became more and more disinterested in what he was supposed to be doing. By the time fourth period rolled around he had stopped trying to lecture and had simply assigned his class a chapter in their textbooks to read and a worksheet to complete when they were done reading.

He didn't even leave his classroom when the bell rang to signal the lunch break. Most days he would have gone home to have lunch with Kimberly, but right now Tommy felt it best to give them both some space. Sitting at his desk as he picked at a turkey sandwich, he played the morning over in his head for what had to be the hundredth time.

For as long as Tommy could remember, Kimberly had always been "the one." She was his first real relationship, but none of the women who came after her—not even Katherine—had ever compared to how he felt for Kimberly. When they had gotten back together it was like years of patiently waiting had finally paid off. And while she hadn't exactly turned him down, the fact that she hadn't said yes was making Tommy wonder if he had waited for nothing.

Sighing deeply, Tommy decided that he would worry about Kimberly and their relationship later, if there was even a relationship left to worry about. Seeing as how they really didn't talk much after the proposal Tommy had no idea how Kimberly felt other than that she wasn't sure if she wanted to marry him yet.

It seemed like it had only been a few minutes when the bell rang again, signaling to the students that lunch had ended and that it was now time for them to make their way to their fifth period classes. Looking down at the hardly touched sandwich that Kimberly had made for him, Tommy took a couple of overly large bites and then tossed it in the waste basket under his desk. He barely even chewed the food, opting to swallow the majority of it down with a big swig from his water bottle just as the first of his students began to trickle into his classroom.

Opting to give his planned lecture another shot, Tommy waited until the remainder of his students had taken their seats and then slowly rose from his own chair to address them. "Alright guys, we have a lot to cover before your midterms next month so we're just going to go ahead and get started on the Jurassic Era."

Mentioning the oft-dreaded midterms earned Tommy some groans from his students as he eased himself back into Dr. Oliver mode, one of many personas that he had taken on over the years. Between being Tommy the Regular Guy, Tommy the Legend Ranger, Tommy the Friend, Tommy the Loving Boyfriend, and Dr. Oliver the Responsible Teacher, Tommy often felt like he was callously being pulled in every direction imaginable.

"I know, I know, midterms suck. Believe me, I was there once too and I hated them just as much as you guys do, but everyone's gotta do them. Eric, can you turn the lights off for me please?" asked Tommy, who moved to get something from his desk as the young man closest to the light switch reached over and flipped the switch down. To his student's surprised delight, Tommy inserted a DVD into his computer and turned on the projector that hung from the ceiling. "Since we're going to be learning about the Jurassic Era, I figured you guys would enjoy seeing what the dinosaurs were capable of."

Picking up the remote control from his desk, Tommy flipped through the menu screen of _Jurassic Park_ in search of one of the scenes that showed the Tyrannosaurs Rex in action. The scene in question had only just started to play when the door creaked open and a man silently crept into the room.

Standing all of five-foot-five with olive colored skin, a shiny bald head, and a pair of round glasses, Giuseppe Infantino was an Italian immigrant who had come to America with his parents and older brother during the Second World War He was also Reefside High School's most tenured instructor, having taught biology and chemistry since the start of the Reagan Administration.

"Dr. Oliver," the older man whispered, using a wave of his hand to call Tommy over to him.

"Excuse me for one second class," said Tommy, letting the movie play as he crossed the room to speak with his fellow teacher, quietly asking, "What can I do for you, Giuseppe?"

Giuseppe spoke softly, making it impossible for any would-be eavesdroppers to overhear what he was saying. Whatever it was, Tommy's eyes suddenly went wide; his desk was only fifteen or so feet away, but Tommy sprinted every step as he hurried to pack his briefcase.

"Class, there's been an emergency in my family that needs my immediate attention," Tommy explained, stuffing papers haphazardly into the black leather case. "Mr. Infantino is going to finish teaching his class, and most likely Thursday and Friday's classes as well. I expect you to treat him with the same respect you treat me. Anyone misbehaves and you'll be spending all of next week in detention cleaning out Mr. Infantino's Biology Lab. I hear they start dissecting frogs on Monday so keep that in mind. Other than that, have a good rest of the week."

Tommy moved swiftly, giving his students little time to ask questions as he shook Giuseppe's hand and thanked the older man for all of his help. As soon as he had stepped into the hallway it was a race to get to the teacher's parking lot. Bursting through the main exit, Tommy's dress shoe covered feet slapped against the cement path as he ran but, instead of staying on the path like he usually would, he opted to veer left in favor of a shortcut across the grass that extended from the walkway to the parking lot.

When Tommy had finally reached his Jeep his shoes were covered in wet grass, but he paid this little mind. At that moment Tommy was experiencing tunnel vision; he was focused solely on one objective, getting to his destination as quickly as possible without getting pulled over in the process. The Jeep's oversized tires screeched loudly as Tommy pulled out of his parking spot, whipping the vehicle around and shifting into first gear with a level of precision that was reminiscent of his days behind the wheel of a race car.

During his first tenure as a Power Ranger, he had had the advantage of teleportation to get around. The Dino Thunder Rangers, however, hadn't been privy to that technology so Tommy had taken it upon himself to learn every possible shortcut in the city that a vehicle with off-road capabilities could use. A trip across town that normally would have taken fifteen or twenty minutes was cut to less than ten as Tommy maneuvered the Jeep through the woods that surrounded Reefside.

Tommy's heart pounded relentlessly against his chest, his right foot weighing heavily against the gas pedal. Caution was thrown to the wind as Tommy put the Jeep's shocks to work, bouncing around wildly while he focused on keeping the vehicle on the dirt road.

The first sign of light at the end of the woods was like a giant weight had suddenly been lifted from Tommy's shoulders. From where the trees ended he would only be about two blocks away from his destination, a prospect that allowed Tommy to breath just a tad bit easier than he had previously been. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to run the first red light he encountered upon pulling back onto the main road.

Thankfully, the parking lot of Reefside Memorial Hospital wasn't too crowded. He was able to find an open parking spot with relative ease, and was halfway out of the Jeep before it had even come to a full stop. The route to the maternity ward was a familiar one that saw Tommy rush through the main entrance and take a sharp left down a long stretch of hallway followed by another quick left turn and then the ascension of five floors worth of stairs.

He was breathing hard by the time he reached the nurse's station; tiny beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he struggled to say something to the first nurse that he came across. "My girlfriend…Kimberly Hart…went into labor," Tommy panted in between deep breaths. "I need to know what room she's in."

The middle aged woman behind the desk smiled politely back at Tommy. "Ms. Hart is in Room 271. Dr. Michaels is having her staff prepare a delivery room right now."

"Thank you so much," said Tommy, flashing a quick smile before turning in search of Kimberly's room.

"Tommy!" a female voice called out just as he was passing the waiting area.

Tommy froze on the spot, spinning around to see Aisha standing up from her seat. "Aisha," he replied, pulling his old friend in for a quick hug. "Not that I'm not glad to see you or anything, but what are you doing here?"

"Boy, I'm telling you, Kim must have a guardian angel or something watching over her. I called her to tell her I was coming over to see her and then her water just broke in the middle of the conversation," Aisha answered, returning the thankful smile that Tommy gave her. "Luckily I was pretty close to the house when it happened."

"Is she okay?" asked Tommy, alternating between looking at Aisha and down the hallway where Kimberly's room was located.

"She's fine physically, if that's what you mean," Aisha answered, shaking her head. "But something's bothering her and I don't have a clue what it is. She just randomly started crying on the drive over here, and when I asked what was wrong she wouldn't tell me. It's gotta be something big, 'cause she pretty much tells me everything."

Tommy grimaced inwardly. "I bet I know just what it is," he murmured to no one in particular, drifting off for just the briefest of moments. After snapping back into reality he laid a hand on Aisha's shoulder. "Listen, I just want to say thank you for everything that you've done. It means the world to me, and I'm sure Kimberly feels the same way, but could you please do me one more favor and call the others while I go check on her?"

"You're welcome, Tommy, and yes, I can call the others for you. Kim already had me call Jason, so he should be here soon," Aisha replied, smirking as she dropped her voice so that only he could hear her. "You'll have a hospital full of Rangers in no time."

Chuckling lightly, Tommy thanked Aisha one last time, gave her another quick hug, and then was off. He arrived outside of Kimberly's room so quickly that he realized he didn't have a clue what he was going to say to her. All day long he'd thought about what had happened that morning, but not once did he ever think about what they were going to do to resolve it.

The only thing Tommy knew for certain was that Kimberly needed his full support now more than ever. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he breathed deeply, exhaling slowly as he reached for the door handle. At first, he couldn't even see her upon entering the room; a nurse stood at the side of her bed, blocking Kimberly from his line of vision.

Hearing Tommy's entrance, the nurse turned just enough to open a clear path for chocolate to meet doe. As soon as their eyes met it was like both had been hit with a colossal wave of emotions. Tommy was quick to her side, taking Kimberly's hand as the nurse politely stepped back to give the pair a few moments to themselves.

Looking down at Kimberly's soft, tear-filled eyes, Tommy lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the top of it, gently running his free hand through her hair at the same time. "How are you feeling, Beautiful?"

"It hurts, Tommy. It hurts really bad," Kimberly replied, visibly grimacing. "The contractions keep getting closer and closer, and I feel like my body is just going to explode at any minute. Oh, God!"

Tightly closing her eyes, Kimberly bit her bottom lip as another contraction hit hard, causing her to let out a loud cry from the pain. Tommy was forced to watch on helplessly, unable to do anything but supply a hand for her to squeeze. Even though it would all be over soon enough, it broke Tommy's heart to see Kimberly hurting so much.

"It's okay, Kim," said Tommy in a whisper. It was all he could manage to say as he tried his best to ignore the pain that was coursing through his hand. Kimberly had a firm grip on his hand and was gripping it with all the might her petite body could muster.

Opening her eyes, Kimberly looked up at him and shook her head. "No, it's not okay, Tommy. I…I'm so sorry."

A calm, soothing smile crossed Tommy's lips. "You don't have anything to apologize for, Beautiful," he whispered, tenderly caressing the top of her hand with his fingertips. "What happened this morning is over and done with; if you aren't ready to get married I—"

"Tommy?" Kimberly interrupted. It took just a single look into those chocolate brown eyes that had forever been the gateway to his heart and soul for Kimberly to know that somehow, someway, everything was going to be okay.

"Yeah, Kim?" asked Tommy in reply.

Kimberly opened her mouth to speak, but was cutoff by someone else entering the room. She and Tommy turned their heads in tandem to see Dr. Courtney Michaels, Kimberly's obstetrician, walking towards them. The raven haired, green-eyed doctor smiled warmly towards the pair, happy to see that Tommy had made it in time.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to stop by and check up on you before we move you, Kim," said Dr. Michaels, shaking Tommy's hand before shifting her attention back to Kimberly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," Kimberly answered honestly, getting an understanding smile from Dr. Michaels.

"The first time giving birth is typically the hardest. The next one should be a piece of cake, though," Dr. Michaels replied with a light chuckle, placing a comforting hand on Kimberly's shoulder. "Have you decided if you want any medication for the pain, or no?"

Through gritted teeth, Kimberly nodded as yet another contraction made her grimace and writhe. "I want to do it naturally," said Kimberly.

For his part, Tommy was doing all he could to reassure Kimberly that everything would be okay. As Dr. Michaels went over what was going to happen in the next few hours, the only thing Tommy could focus on was that he was actually about to become a father. It had taken seventeen years for Tommy to discover a blood relative in his brother David and, while they'd grown closer over the years since they'd met, it just wasn't the same. This child that was on the verge of entering Tommy's life was his, something that he had helped to create. Now that the time had finally arrived, Tommy could hardly wait.

Kimberly, on the other hand, felt the same way, but for very different reasons. With each passing moment the pain was becoming more and more unbearable, making Kimberly second guess her decision to forego any sort of medication. This moment was supposed to be a memorable one; she didn't want to be so doped up on painkillers that she couldn't remember anything. If that meant sticking it out for a few more hours than that's what she was going to do.

She had to admit that having Tommy by her side now was helping her more than words could say. Just being able to see his face, knowing that he was still there for her even after the events from the morning...it just seemed to make everything a little bit easier to deal with.

"Okay, Kim, we're going to go ahead and move you to the delivery room," said Dr. Michaels. "Dr. Oliver, I'm going to need you to give us an hour or so to get everything ready, maybe go down to the cafeteria and get a bite to eat or something."

Tommy had no desire to leave Kimberly's side, but he also knew that arguing with the doctor would do him no good. "You'll call me as soon as you can?" he asked, Dr. Michaels nodding her head. "Alright," he continued, looking to Kimberly. "Everything is going to be okay, Beautiful. I love you."

Kimberly could hardly believe that Tommy had actually said that he loved her. She'd been so scared that he wouldn't want to be with her after his proposal had gone unaccepted. "I-I…I love you too, Tommy."

Smiling brightly, Tommy wiped a few loose strands of hair away from Kimberly's brow, dipped his head, and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'll see you soon, sweetie."

Giving his hand a parting squeeze, Kimberly's eyes remained focused on Tommy until the door had closed shut behind him. Walking back through the hallways, Tommy stopped in front of the waiting area to see that a couple more of his friends and former teammates had joined Aisha.

Jason Scott, his brother in everything but blood, looked like he was about ready to spontaneously combust. His face was a mixture of giddy eagerness and nervous anticipation as he rose from his seat to greet Tommy. Words were not spoken, just a bear hug that conveyed everything that needed to be said.

In the seat next to Jason's, Adam Park sat with his three-year old daughter, Avyanna Gi Donyen Park, bouncing on his lap. The little girl had her mother's skin and hair with Adam's facial features, which included a visible squint when either smiled or laughed. Her two middle names reflected the heritage of both her parents, Gi being Korean for "she who is brave," and Donyen meaning "beautiful" in the African language of Kru. Carefully passing Avyanna to his wife, Tanya Sloan-Park, Adam stood up and moved to shake Tommy's hand.

"How is she?" asked Adam as the pair exchanged a half-hug.

Tommy sighed, running his hand through his hair. "She's in a lot of pain, but she's going to be okay. Dr. Michaels said that she would come get me in like an hour or so."

"What are you supposed to do until then?" Jason questioned.

"Wait, I guess," Tommy answered, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

Clenching his fists tightly, Jason looked at Tommy and shook his head. "I hate waiting."

Tommy nodded his head in agreement and then turned to Adam. "You were in the delivery room when Avy was born, right?" he asked, Adam nodding his confirmation. "What's it like in there, man? I've never been this nervous before in my life."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Adam supplied with a laugh. "I felt the same way right before Tanya gave birth. As far as being in the delivering room goes, it's crazy, man. You know what's going to happen and you're ready for it, but at the same time there isn't anything in the world that can prepare you for when you first see your child."

Wearing a curious expression, Tommy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Thinking back to the very moment when his daughter had been born caused Adam to smile his trademark grin. "I took one look at Avyanna and I just…I knew that I loved her, and that I always would. It doesn't seem like a big deal from the outside looking in, but you'll see what I mean soon enough."

--

Soon enough actually wasn't very soon at all. True to her word, Dr. Michaels had come to retrieve Tommy just after the one hour mark, but little had happened since then. He'd been in and out of the delivery room for the last seven hours, giving updates to the group of people in the waiting area that seemed to grow every time he came out.

David and his guardian Sam Truehart along with Tommy's mother had been the next to arrive, all showing up together shortly after Adam, Jason, and Tanya. When all was said and done the room was occupied by nearly thirty people. Everyone that Tommy had served with, including Hayley and the Dino Rangers, along with most of the Red Rangers from the mission to the moon had gathered to share in the birth of the original Power Couple's first child. There wasn't an empty chair in the room and some had even taken to sitting on the floor or in the laps of a significant other.

As the day turned to evening, Tommy started to realize how out of touch he had become with the rest of the Ranger community. It wasn't until his third trip back to the waiting room that he noticed the diamond engagement ring on Aisha's finger, courtesy of Rocky who had arrived in between the third and fourth visit. Then there were Billy and Trini sitting curiously close to one another, talking in hushed voices. He couldn't prove it, but Tommy was almost certain that there was something going on with those two and, if he was correct, then it was about damn time in his eyes.

If that wasn't enough, Jason and Katherine were clearly involved which Tommy learned when he walked into the waiting room and saw them kissing. Apparently, he was the only one that hadn't known about that relationship.

For nearly seven hours Tommy and the others had waited patiently for the moment to arrive, while Kimberly had lost any semblance of patience after about ten minutes of being told to breathe deeply and push. And then, before Tommy knew what had hit him, it was happening.

"Come on, Kimberly, I need you to push hard for me," Dr. Michaels coaxed, ignoring the fire that burned in Kimberly's eyes. Kimberly was perspiring visibly, her hair matted against her brow as she let out a bloodcurdling scream to accompany her latest push.

"You've got this, Beautiful. Just a little bit more," said Tommy softly, wincing at the Vulcan Death Grip being applied to his hand. Dressed in green scrubs with a pair of latex gloves covering his hands, Tommy was truly afraid that Kimberly would break at least a couple of his fingers if she squeezed them any harder. "Take some deep breaths, Kim, come on."

"I don't want to breathe anymore! I want to get this baby out of me already!" Kimberly yelled. A piercing, pain filled cry escaped her lips moments later. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! Give me the damn painkillers!"

Dr. Michaels shook her head. "It's too late, Kim. You're just going to have to keep pushing as hard as you possibly can," the doctor replied to Kimberly's dismay. Following a scream that left Tommy's ears ringing, Kimberly summoned every ounce of energy in her body and channeled it into one hard, elongated push. A searing pain shot through Kimberly's entire body as Dr. Michaels looked up at the panting woman. "It's crowning, Kim; just a little bit more."

"Come on, Beautiful, you can do it," Tommy offered reassuringly. Never in his life had Tommy been happier to hear a baby's cry then at that very moment. "You did it, Kim, you did it," he whispered as Kimberly exhaled deeply and slumped against the bed, far too tired to move. No monster battle or gymnastics practice came close to how physically exhausted she now felt.

"Congratulations, you are now the parents of a perfectly healthy baby boy," said Dr. Michaels, smiling beneath her surgeon's mask as Tommy's eyes welled with tears. "Would you care to cut the umbilical cord, Dr. Oliver?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Tommy nodded fiercely and took the umbilical cord clamp from Dr. Michaels. He had to force himself to keep his hands from shaking as he moved to sever the cord. It was then, as Dr. Michaels started to wrap the baby in a blanket, that Tommy got his first good look at his son.

Curly, dark brown locks and eyes the color of chocolate echoed his father while his nose and lips were those of his mother. Holding his son, cradling the tiny, crying body in his arms, Tommy now understood what Adam had been talking about earlier. It had only taken one look at his son for Tommy to fall in love.

"Welcome to the world, little man. I'm your daddy," said Tommy quietly as a stream of tears slowly began to slide down his cheeks. Rocking the boy back and forth, Tommy smiled through his tears as he walked to the side of Kimberly's bed. "And this is your mommy," he continued, beaming at Kimberly who was dealing with tears of her own. "She's pretty tired right now, but I bet she'd love to hold you."

Kimberly just nodded her head and extended her arms. She smiled brightly as Tommy carefully handed her their son. No sooner had she taken hold of him then he stopped crying, causing Kimberly to burst into a hysterical fit of tears.

"Well, he obviously knows who his mom is," Tommy chuckled. Using one arm to support the baby, Kimberly reached out and took Tommy's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as their eyes met in silent understanding. "I love you, Beautiful. I'm so proud of you."

For the first time in her life Kimberly was completely speechless. There were no words she could say that would justifiably express the wonder of emotions that she was currently experiencing. Thankfully, Dr. Michaels seemed to know exactly what Kimberly was going through and chose that moment to step in.

"Have you two decided on a name?" asked Dr. Michaels.

"Kenneth Thomas, after our fathers," Kimberly croaked as Tommy stroked the top of her hand with his thumb.

"I still think we should have gone with Thomas Kenneth," added Tommy, wearing a lopsided grin.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "That's only because you wanted his initials to be T.K.O."

"Yeah, 'cause no one's ever going to pick on a kid whose initials stand for Technical Knock Out," Tommy replied playfully.

"Oh, please, like he's going to need any help defending himself," Kimberly shot back. "Just look at who his father is. If you have anything to do with he's going to be doing tornado kicks and swinging a Bo staff all around the living room before he even says his first word."

"You say that like it's really not going to be that way," said Tommy, chuckling.

It was almost surreal how seamlessly they had transitioned back into the playful banter that had been common place in their relationship up until that morning. One look at his son had caused Tommy to all but forget about the marriage proposal. If nothing else, going through this tumultuous day together had only reaffirmed to the both of them how much they truly meant to one another.

Watching from afar, Dr. Michaels couldn't help but smile as Tommy and Kimberly welcomed their son into the world. She had seen everything from scared, single, teenaged mothers with no clue on how to raise a child, to middle aged couples who'd finally conceived after twenty years of trying. Of the many babies she had delivered, nothing warmed her heart more than seeing a couple so genuinely excited to be parents.

"I'm just going to excuse myself," said Dr. Matthews, smiling at the pair. "Kim, we're going to move you and the baby to your own room in a few minutes. I'll be back to check on you shortly, okay?"

Kimberly simply nodded in understanding, but Tommy chose to speak up. "When can we have visitors? I'm sure you noticed that the waiting room is pretty much overflowing."

Dr. Michaels laughed, having seen the numerous amounts of people that had come for this special occasion. "Once Kimberly is situated in her new room having some visitors is perfectly fine, but no more than a few at a time. Usually I recommend that you try and keep it as brief as possible, but it seems as if you have a lot of friends and family that have come to see your son and I'm sure you wouldn't want to disappoint them."

Chuckling, Tommy shook his head. "Thank you, Dr. Michaels, for everything," he said sincerely, Kimberly nodding her agreement.

Dr. Michaels just smiled and then quietly excused herself. Alone for the time being, Tommy and Kimberly took the brief lull in activity to enjoy a few quiet moments with their son. It didn't take long in the steady silence for little Kenneth Thomas to drift off, sleeping peacefully in the arms of his mother.

Something as simple as a sleeping baby made Tommy and Kimberly both smile so happily because this baby was theirs, a creation that had been born from the love they shared for each other. Eventually, to the disappointment of both Tommy and Kimberly, they were told that Kimberly and the baby were about to be moved and asked Tommy to step away for a few minutes until they were in their new room.

"Well, I guess I'll go deliver the good news to the others," said Tommy. Looking from Kimberly to Kenneth, Tommy kissed his son's forehead softly, careful not to wake him from his slumber. "I love you, son," he whispered before shifting his attention to Kimberly, "and I love you, Beautiful."

"I love you too, Tommy," Kimberly replied, sharing a kiss with the man who meant everything to her.

"I'll see you soon," said Tommy, turning for the door.

As Tommy walked towards the door, Kimberly took the briefest of moments to look deep within herself. She watched him go, swallowing deeply when he opened the door and started to exit the room. "Hey, Tommy," she called out softly, waiting until he had turned around before continuing. Their eyes met and Kimberly smiled. "The answer is yes; a million times over."

It took all of the self-control that Tommy had not to let his mouth hang wide open. Of all the things Kimberly could have said to him, that was the last thing he had been expecting to hear. Just like Kimberly had been speechless earlier, it was now Tommy's turn to be the one at a loss for words. There was nothing he could say so he simply smiled back at her, slowly nodding his head a single time.

Seconds after the door had clicked shut Kimberly heard Tommy let out a cheerful, triumphant yip from the hallway. With an amused grin, she looked down at her sleeping son and shook her head. "I promise, sweetie, he's usually not this crazy," she whispered, laughing lightly.

Out in the waiting room, Tommy was currently surrounded by twenty-five or so people who were all eager to congratulate him on the birth of his son. Though he was genuinely excited and happy, his handshakes and hugs were half-hearted at best. He was at the center of the attention, but at that moment there was only one person that Tommy wanted to see.

Standing outside the perimeter of the circle that had formed around her son, Janet Oliver waited patiently for him to break free from the group. As soon as he had been able to slip away he sought out his mother, pulling her into a tight, loving hug. Both began to cry almost immediately, sobbing against each other's shirts.

"Your father would be so proud of you, son," Janet whispered, holding her son fiercely.

Those were the words Tommy had so desperately wanted to hear. Despite the fact that his father was not there in body, Tommy was certain that Thomas was watching over him, beaming proudly as the Circle of Life continued its never ending journey.


End file.
